add-app-tool

When to Use

App tools are rarely the right choice. Reach for one only when all of the following hold:

1. A human will actively interact with the result in real time — not just an LLM consuming text.
2. The target deployment runs in a client that supports MCP Apps. Many clients (Claude Code, Cursor, most chat UIs) are tool-only and will only ever see the format() text fallback you have to maintain anyway.
3. The interaction the UI enables — scrubbing a dense table, approving a multi-step plan, filling a structured form — is core to the workflow, not nice-to-have rendering.

App tools cost more than standard tools: an iframe + CSP setup, app.ontoolresult / callServerTool plumbing, host-context wiring (theme, fonts, styles), and a format() text path that has to be content-complete because most clients see only that. Two surfaces to keep in sync, two failure modes per change.

Default to add-tool. This skill is the how-to once that bar is cleared — the "whether to" decision belongs in design-mcp-server.

Context

MCP Apps extend the standard tool pattern with an interactive HTML UI rendered in a sandboxed iframe by the host. Each MCP App consists of two definitions:

1. App tool (.app-tool.ts) — uses appTool() builder, declares resourceUri pointing to the UI resource
2. App resource (.app-resource.ts) — uses appResource() builder, serves the bundled HTML

Both builders are exported from @cyanheads/mcp-ts-core. They handle _meta.ui.resourceUri, the compat key (ui/resourceUri), and the correct MIME type (text/html;profile=mcp-app) automatically.

For the full API, Context interface, and error codes, read the framework's CLAUDE.md/AGENTS.md (loaded at session start).

Steps

1. Confirm the three conditions in "When to Use" apply — if any is uncertain, default to add-tool instead. Then gather the tool's name, purpose, input/output shape, and what the UI should display from the user's request — ask only if genuinely absent
2. Choose a URI — convention: ui://{{tool-name}}/app.html
3. Create the app tool at src/mcp-server/tools/definitions/{{tool-name}}.app-tool.ts
4. Create the app resource at src/mcp-server/resources/definitions/{{tool-name}}-ui.app-resource.ts
5. Register both in the project's existing createApp() arrays (directly in src/index.ts for fresh scaffolds, or via barrels if the repo already has them)
6. Run bun run devcheck — the linter validates _meta.ui and cross-checks tool/resource pairing
7. Smoke-test with bun run rebuild && bun run start:stdio (or start:http)

App Tool Template

/**
 * @fileoverview {{TOOL_DESCRIPTION}}
 * @module mcp-server/tools/definitions/{{TOOL_NAME}}.app-tool
 */

import { appTool, z } from '@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core';

const UI_RESOURCE_URI = 'ui://{{tool-name}}/app.html';

export const {{TOOL_EXPORT}} = appTool('{{tool_name}}', {
  resourceUri: UI_RESOURCE_URI,
  title: '{{TOOL_TITLE}}',
  description: '{{TOOL_DESCRIPTION}}',
  annotations: { readOnlyHint: true },
  input: z.object({
    // All fields need .describe(). Only JSON-Schema-serializable Zod types allowed.
  }),
  output: z.object({
    // All fields need .describe(). Only JSON-Schema-serializable Zod types allowed.
  }),
  // auth: ['tool:{{tool_name}}:read'],

  async handler(input, ctx) {
    ctx.log.info('Processing', { /* relevant input fields */ });
    return { /* output */ };
  },

  // format() serves dual purpose for app tools:
  // 1. First text block: JSON for the UI (app.ontoolresult parses it)
  // 2. Subsequent blocks: human-readable, content-complete fallback for non-app hosts and LLM context
  format(result) {
    return [
      { type: 'text', text: JSON.stringify(result) },
      { type: 'text', text: '/* human-readable summary with all LLM-needed fields */' },
    ];
  },
});

App Resource Template

/**
 * @fileoverview UI resource for {{TOOL_NAME}}.
 * @module mcp-server/resources/definitions/{{TOOL_NAME}}-ui.app-resource
 */

import { appResource, z } from '@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core';

const ParamsSchema = z.object({}).describe('No parameters. Returns the static HTML app.');

const APP_HTML = `<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="utf-8" />
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1" />
  <title>{{TOOL_TITLE}}</title>
  <style>/* your styles */</style>
</head>
<body>
  <!-- your UI markup -->

  <script type="module">
    // PROTOTYPING ONLY — replace before shipping. Bundle via Vite +
    // vite-plugin-singlefile or inline the SDK. Live CDN imports require
    // CSP whitelisting, add supply-chain risk, and break offline use.
    // See UI Notes below.
    import {
      App,
      applyDocumentTheme,
      applyHostFonts,
      applyHostStyleVariables,
    } from "https://unpkg.com/@modelcontextprotocol/ext-apps@1/app-with-deps";

    const app = new App({ name: "{{TOOL_TITLE}}", version: "1.0.0" });

    function applyHostContext(hostContext) {
      if (hostContext?.theme) {
        applyDocumentTheme(hostContext.theme);
      }
      if (hostContext?.styles?.variables) {
        applyHostStyleVariables(hostContext.styles.variables);
      }
      if (hostContext?.styles?.css?.fonts) {
        applyHostFonts(hostContext.styles.css.fonts);
      }
    }

    // Receive initial tool result from the host
    app.ontoolresult = (result) => {
      const text = result.content?.find(c => c.type === "text")?.text;
      if (!text) return;
      const data = JSON.parse(text);
      // render data into the DOM
    };
    app.onhostcontextchanged = applyHostContext;

    // Proactively call tools from the UI
    document.getElementById("action-btn").addEventListener("click", async () => {
      const result = await app.callServerTool({
        name: "{{tool_name}}",
        arguments: { /* input */ },
      });
      // handle result
    });

    app.connect().then(() => {
      const hostContext = app.getHostContext();
      if (hostContext) applyHostContext(hostContext);
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>`;

export const {{RESOURCE_EXPORT}} = appResource('ui://{{tool-name}}/app.html', {
  name: '{{tool-name}}-ui',
  title: '{{TOOL_TITLE}} UI',
  description: 'Interactive HTML app for {{tool_name}}.',
  params: ParamsSchema,
  // auth: ['resource:{{tool-name}}-ui:read'],
  _meta: {
    ui: {
      csp: { resourceDomains: ['https://unpkg.com'] },
    },
  },

  handler(_params, ctx) {
    ctx.log.debug('Serving app UI.', { resourceUri: ctx.uri?.href });
    return APP_HTML;
  },

  list: () => ({
    resources: [
      {
        uri: 'ui://{{tool-name}}/app.html',
        name: '{{TOOL_TITLE}}',
        description: 'Interactive UI for {{tool_name}}.',
      },
    ],
  }),
});

UI Notes

• Ship self-contained HTML. Author with Vite + vite-plugin-singlefile or inline the SDK. Live CDN imports in a ui:// resource are a CSP footgun (every domain has to be whitelisted on _meta.ui.csp.resourceDomains), a supply-chain footgun (third-party JS executes inside the host's iframe), and a runtime footgun (every render needs network). The unpkg line in the template is for prototyping only.
• CSP. MCP Apps iframes run under deny-by-default CSP. With appResource(), put _meta.ui.csp.resourceDomains on the definition; the builder mirrors it into returned resources/read content items. With plain resource(), attach _meta.ui yourself in format().

• Adopt the host's visual identity, don't impose your own. App UIs render inside the host's iframe alongside its native UI. Three host hooks layer on top of your CSS:

  • applyDocumentTheme(hostContext.theme) — sets color-scheme and a data-theme attribute on <html>
  • applyHostStyleVariables(hostContext.styles.variables) — installs host CSS custom properties on :root (host decides the names, e.g. --mcp-color-bg-primary)
  • applyHostFonts(hostContext.styles.css.fonts) — installs @font-face rules for the host's font stack

  Author CSS to consume these via var(--mcp-color-bg-primary, /* fallback */ #fff). Don't hardcode brand colors that fight the host.

• Pre-connect baseline. app.connect() is async — host context arrives a frame or two after first paint. Without a baseline, the UI flashes unstyled or wrong-themed on light hosts. Ship a prefers-color-scheme-aware default so the first frame is sensible:

  :root { color-scheme: light dark; --bg: #fff; --fg: #111; }
  @media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) { :root { --bg: #0c0d12; --fg: #ededef; } }
  body { background: var(--bg); color: var(--fg); }

  Host vars override these once onhostcontextchanged fires.

• format() for app tools. The first text content block is typically JSON that the UI parses via ontoolresult. Additional blocks are the human-readable fallback that non-app hosts and LLMs consume — they must render every field the LLM needs to reason about. JSON-only payloads leave model-visible context blind.
• App resource format(). appResource() already preserves raw HTML for the default app MIME type and mirrors definition _meta.ui into content items. Add a custom format() only when you need extra per-read metadata or non-default content shaping.

Registration

// src/index.ts (fresh scaffold default)
import { createApp } from '@cyanheads/mcp-ts-core';
import { {{TOOL_EXPORT}} } from './mcp-server/tools/definitions/{{tool-name}}.app-tool.js';
import { {{RESOURCE_EXPORT}} } from './mcp-server/resources/definitions/{{tool-name}}-ui.app-resource.js';

await createApp({
  tools: [{{TOOL_EXPORT}}],
  resources: [{{RESOURCE_EXPORT}}],
  prompts: [/* existing prompts */],
});

If the repo already uses definitions/index.ts barrels, update those instead of changing the registration pattern.

Checklist

• App tool created at src/mcp-server/tools/definitions/{{tool-name}}.app-tool.ts using appTool()
• App resource created at src/mcp-server/resources/definitions/{{tool-name}}-ui.app-resource.ts using appResource()
• resourceUri matches between tool and resource (ui://{{tool-name}}/app.html)
• Zod schemas: all fields have .describe(), only JSON-Schema-serializable types
• format() first block is JSON.stringify(result) — the full output object for the UI to parse via app.ontoolresult. Subsequent blocks are human-readable, content-complete fallback for non-app hosts and LLMs
• App resource _meta.ui.csp.resourceDomains lists every external domain loaded by the UI
• UI bundles or inlines the client SDK for the shipped HTML, and handles app.ontoolresult
• UI applies host context updates via app.onhostcontextchanged
• App resource has a list callback returning at least one URI so resource-aware clients can discover it
• Both registered in the project's existing createApp() arrays (directly or via barrels)
• Handler tested directly via createMockContext(), or add-test skill run to scaffold the test file
• bun run devcheck passes (linter validates _meta.ui and tool/resource pairing)
• Smoke-tested with bun run rebuild && bun run start:stdio (or start:http)